Join our free call about grieving in community on January 7th at 7pm.

Join our in person meeting about grieving in community on January 8th at Stigbergstorget in Gothenburg at 6.30pm.

Contribution for space & fika: sek 50.

The invitation

Human life inevitably comes with experiences of loss in its many forms. The most obvious one is the death of a dear one. As we grow older we lose health and dreams. When we look around we might feel overwhelmed with a grief for the state of the world with an increasing loss of peace and biodiversity. And the list goes on.

Culturally grief is not a welcome guest at the table. Already as kids most of us learn not to express it but rather to be strong and continue business as usual. As adults numbing and disengaging might seem like the proper thing to do whenever we encounter loss, though this attitude can make us ill in body, heart, mind and soul.  

In Norse mythology, when the goddess Freya is crying her tears turn into gold when they touch the ground and into amber when they touch the water. This image suggests that there is something precious about grieving, that our tears might hold a gift.

Indeed, when grieving we set free life energy. People attending grief rituals report experiencing more vitality and aliveness, connectedness with other people and the more-than-human world, a capacity to be more present and engage, a sensation of being more at peace with their inner world and the world around.

For a lot of us grieving is rather unknown and often scary territory. During a grief ritual we set off into this landscape together and remember how to navigate it. While a lot of us have grown used to carrying our grief alone, we now gather as a community. The more we hear others share about their grief, and share our own, the more it gets clear that grief is something that is ‘ours’ instead of ‘mine’.   

What to expect

The first part of our days together will focus on getting to know each other and on teachings about grief. We will explore what grief is, which different forms of grief there are, how to relate to grief and how to approach grieving. There will also be time to exchange in smaller groups about the particular grief that you are holding. The second part we will open the actual grief ritual with the element of water in the centre. There will be several grief sessions during which we will both grieve in silence and with song and voice as a support. This will be a step-by-step process during which we keep on taking the time to share and check in with each other. The last part will be for integration of the grieving experience and celebration of life.

For whom

The grief ritual is a space for you when you have recently been confronted with a loss in your life, when you carry grief for passed losses which you have never been able to grieve deeply, or when you are in a period of your life where grief is present even though you can’t put your finger on it. Also when you don’t know what you might want to grieve for or if you are simply curious you are welcome.

This space is also fitting when you want to explore your inner emotional world, and especially your relationship with grief, more or when you are working with people, for example as a coach, social worker or when you are active in the field of education or care.

Some examples of reasons you might want to grieve are:

• loss of a dear one

• separation

• loss of health

• loss of dreams

• losses suffered by passed generations

• exile, war

• climate change, loss of species

By whom

Zaia Hoffmann, Lien De Coster & team*

Zaia Hoffmann (she) has a passion for nature, dance, percussion and Japanese culture and crafts which she deepended since her late twenties in different workshops and trainings. When she first experienced grief rituals held by Dagara teacher Sobonfu Somé from Burkina Faso*,* integrating the elements of nature, music and dance in a sacred and purposeful space, she immediately felt at home and joined the unique three year training in nature connected rituals. This became her fundamental basis for holding rites of passage programs for teenagers. Together with Lien she is designing contemporary, locally rooted community focused rituals and ceremonies.

For more info about Zaia, click here.

Lien De Coster (she/they) has been holding ritual spaces for more than a decade. She is passionate about blowing life into the big ceremonies that make for a healthy and life-serving culture and to translate them to contemporary times. Her focus is on guiding processes of death and rebirth through rites of passage work with queer teenagers on the way to adulthood and holding sitouts, vision fasts in the northern European tradition, for adults. Lien studied with Dutch shamanic practitioner Linda Wormhoudt, among other the ‘rouwvrouw’ or soul woman training on supporting death and dying.

For more info about Lien, click here.

*We are working with an international team of at least eight people, coming from among others Sweden and Germany.

Testimonials

The grief ritual in Sweden in February 2024 was my first experience with collective mourning where I was able to allow myself to really feel my pain and let go of my tears, anger and hurt. At first I was a bit afraid of being and showing myself so vulnerable in the group, but the support of the community was what made the whole ritual so worthwhile. I wish we would all learn how to grieve in a community much earlier in life. My favorite part were the nights when the silence and darkness created a magical ritual space where I could be with my grief in a way that still is a very special and heartwarming memory.  *Caro

Last year I had the chance to experience something very special, my first grief ritual. It was beautifully organized and held by Zaia and Lien with the support of an amazing group of people. Lien and Zaia and the group had this huge palette of experience and helping skills, making me and the participants feeling safe, held, interested and inspired throughout the journey. I felt that everything was so well thought out, from being divided into home groups to have safe sharing, to how we prepared for the ceremonies, the mix of seriousness and having fun/letting go and the incredibly atmospheric ceremonies. Zaia and Lien were all along clear about their vision, about the purpose of things and did everything with respect for the group as well as for the individual. The grief ceremonies was truly one of my most powerful and beautiful experiences, being together with this amazing group of people, sharing space to grief, that was amazing and precious. I will keep memories of the grief ritual and all its teaching close to heart for all time to come. I would wish for everyone to be able to experience something similar to what we did. - Ida

Dates

February 19th-23rd 2025, from Wednesday 4pm till Sunday 11:30am.

Location & transport

We gather at Kärlingesund Retreat Center which is beautifully situated at the Swedish west coast of Bohuslän province, a couple of hundred steps from the ocean. The center is tucked in the middle of Kärlingesund nature reserve, which is famous for its pastures, the typical ice-pushed boulders, beautiful oak and beech forests and closeness to the meandering waterways of the Nordströmmarna (Northern Streams).

Traveling by car:

Kärlingesund Retreat Center, Kärlingesund 316, 451 97 Uddevalla, Sweden

Traveling by public transport:

From Gothenburg the easiest is to take the Lysekil Express (bus 841 / 845) from Gothenburg central (Nils Ericsson terminal) to Källviken bus stop via a short stop at Torp Terminalen. The trip takes approximately 1.5 hours from Gothenburg. There is a very nice walk on a gravel road to Kärlingesund from the bus stop, approximately 1,4 km. There is a sign “Kursgärd” (course center) by the main road. We can also pick you up at Källviken bus stop or, if necessary. Please let us know a day in advance when you are arriving. For detailed local bus schedule visit Västtrafik.

For more info about Kärlingesund Retreat Center, click here.

Costs

Workshop:

295 euro/3380 sek: first time participant

250 euro/2865 sek: returning participant or if you come with a friend

395 euro/4526 sek: support rate

195 euro/2234 sek: supported rate (registration before December 18th is required)

Venue:

480 euro/5500 sek (excl. 12% VAT)

The venue costs include sleeping in a double room plus three vegetarian meals. (There are two single rooms available for people with special needs.)

If wanted it is possible to stay an extra night for an added cost of 60 euro.

Do you want to fund our grief work? Get in touch!

Info

liendecoster7@gmail.com or 0046(0)724468878

Join our free info call on the grief ritual on Tuesday January 7th at 7pm. This call comes without any obligations. You can register through filling out the form underneath.

Registration

Your registration is complete after we have received your registration form and payment.

Registration deadline is January 18th.